Umdam
by Princess Shania
Summary: Four times Fili & Kili apologised to their uncle and the one time he apologised to them. Lots of fluff and no slash. R&R!


**I had Durin feels earlier, so I wrote this.**

**So, in ** **_One_ Kili is around the human equivalent of seven, if I've done my maths right.**

**_NO _CHARACTER DEATH, I PROMISE.**

**Ze- Khuzdul for 'one', the word here meant to mean the word 'first'**

**Nu- Khuzdul for 'two', the words here meant to mean the word 'second'**

**Muhud- Khuzdul for 'blessing'**

* * *

_**One**_

Kili was bored. Mama had taken Fili to the healer's to have an eye test, leaving him home with Uncle Thorin for company. He sighed slumping down in his seat, following the patterns in the wooden table with his finger. Wood. His new bow was made of wood. And he had a few arrows left. Yes, Fili had told him to never play with it alone, but he wasn't here, was he? He wouldn't know. Besides, he wasn't _really _alone, not with Uncle in the next room.  
Sliding off his chair, he padded to the counter, standing on the tips of his toes to reach the bow. He caught hold and suddenly it panged off the counter, clattering onto the ground.

"Kili? What are you doing?"

"Nothing, Uncle!" Kili called back. His fingers found the soft, slightly tickly feathers that were stuck on top of the arrow and he pulled onto it until he could feel the narrow rod of the arrow.

Scampering to the other side of the counter, he picked up his bow and held it just the way that Mama taught him, only to drop the arrow and hear a loud thunk as it hit the red rug covering the dark stone floor. Picking it up, he copied his earlier actions, pulled back the bowstring and turned.

He was only aiming at the doorframe, and had he known what would happen next, he wouldn't have even thought about playing with his bow that day. Uncle had clearly had enough of hearing suspicious noises, and had come to investigate, resting his hand on the door-frame.

Whether it hit his arm or his hand or his fingers, Kili didn't know. What he did know was, his uncle was hissing in pain, and had just growled his name. Angrily.

The 31-year-old beardling did the only thing he could do in that situation. He ran.

* * *

It wasn't until around 10 minutes later, though it felt more like 10 _hours_ to Kili, that he decided to pad out of his hiding place and find his uncle to see how badly hurt he was. He heard a soft sliding sound, the sound of fabric, he knew, and followed the noise to the living room that he'd vacated minutes before.

He was very quiet as he stepped into the room. So quiet, even Uncle didn't notice. He blinked at the dark, straight line of crimson that tore its way across a bandage that Thorin was tucking in across his forearm and he felt tears burning in his eyes. He'd _hurt _his Uncle! He was unable to stop a sniffle, and Thorin's head shot up at this new sound.

Whatever anger he had felt swiftly disappeared as he took in his youngest nephew's heartbroken expression. Striding over to Kili and dropping to his knees, he opened his arms, trying not to frighten or upset him any more than he already was.

"Un-cle, I'm sorry!" Kili wailed. "I didn't mean to."

Lifting the child in his arms and holding him securely, Thorin pressed kisses into his dark hair and waited for Kili to cease his frantic apologies before talking. When Kili had calmed, he gave another kiss and then spoke. "I know you didn't mean to, my lad. Did your brother never tell you to only practise with it when he or _Amad_ or another adult can watch you?"

Kili nodded, grasping tightly onto his uncle's steel-blue tunic. "Uh-huh. He did."

Pulling back and freeing an arm, Thorin tucked back a lock of hair from Kili's forehead and wiped a tear away from his cheeks. "Mmm. So, why did you do it alone?"

"I was bored," Kili admitted, braving a look into his uncle's calm eyes.

Thorin nodded and got to his feet, carrying Kili to the chair he'd departed and then seated, still holding his nephew in a consoling embrace. Kneeling like he was had begun to bring an ache to his back. Planting another kiss to Kili's forehead, he said to him, "if you are bored again, do not play with weapons. You could have been hurt."

Kili pointed at Thorin's arm. "I hurt _you_."

He sounded most upset about this, Thorin noticed. Poor thing. "It was an accident, sweetling. And it will heal, but I want you to remember this and promise that you won't do anything similar to this again. Next time, _you_ could be the one hurt."

"Promise I won't." Kili said. He looked back at Thorin's new bandage. "I'm sorry, Uncle."

Thorin lifted him up, resting him on his chest and hugging him, rubbing his back. "All is forgiven, my nephew."

* * *

_**Two**_

"You know _nothing _of the world."

They felt completely wretched. How could they have joked about _Orcs_? In front of _Thorin_? Fili gently pushed Kili on as they made their way to where Thorin was standing, staring out to the horizon. Kili always felt the worst when they upset their uncle, so as a rule, Fili always made sure his little brother went first to apologise.

"Uncle."

"Kili, you should be resting."

"Uncle, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joked about Orcs. Please forgive me."

Thorin turned to Kili. "No, you shouldn't have. They are not things to laugh about."

Kili hung his head, unable to look at him much longer. "I'm sorry."

Thorin placed his hands on Kili's shoulders and brought him closer, enveloping his arms around his nephew's slumped body. He kissed the side of his head, and listened to Kili's further whispering, waiting for him to finish what he had to say. "Do not talk lightly about them again," he said in as serious a tone as he could muster.

"I won't."

How was it, Thorin wondered, that Kili didn't have to tell him whether he promised something or not, how it was that he just knew whether a promise had been made? Shaking himself out of those thoughts, he pulled back, stopping only to lightly press his forehead to Kili's. "I forgive you, _nu muhud_."

Fili nearly jumped out of his skin as his younger brother came crashing through the ferns. "Is he angry?"

"Not angry, no. Go on, Fee, he'll _really _be angry if we're not resting."

Thorin knew perfectly well that Fili would be following his brother, so it was no surprise when, without warning, something went over and gently knocked into him.

Subtlety had never been one of Fili's strong points.

"Fili."

"I'm sorry for using Orcs as a joke. It was wrong of me."

"It was. " Thorin noticed Fili was clasping his hands a lot, a nervous habit his nephew had never grown out of. He placed his own, bigger hands, over Fili's and managed to gain eye contact with him. "You know not to joke about such things, my lad."

"I know. It was wrong of me. I'm sorry, Uncle."

Fili's eyes were flickering downwards now, and Thorin, just as suddenly as Fili had bumped into him, threw his arms around his elder nephew, entangling his fingers through his golden hair. "I forgive you, _ze muhud." _Fili gave a muffled gasp and grabbed onto Thorin with equal strength, allowing himself to briefly bury his head in his uncle's shoulder.

* * *

_**Three**_

"Fili, stop stealing my beads, you devil!" Thorin scolded.

"Kili steals mine!"

"That is no excuse to go stealing them off me. _Ask_, if you need any, for Mahal's sake."

Fili honestly had meant to keep his word. But on the road, particularly with sticky-fingered little brothers, things go missing, and to his chagrin, beads were one of these things. He found that he'd completely run out, and glaring at Kili's unresponsive back, he stood to go find Uncle and beg a bead off him.  
Finding the camp uncle-less, he sighed and went to Thorin's pack, deciding to tell him when he saw him that he'd borrowed a bead. Locating a soft, small drawstring purse, he brought it out, noticing it wasn't the small black bag that always jingled, but was a deep blue one with silver stitching dancing through the fabric. Deciding it was a spare bag, he opened it, to find only four beads of a different, more brighter silver rolling around inside.

Hmph. He wasn't happy about the lack of beads, but he coaxed out two and re-closed the purse, putting it back in its rightful place.

He didn't think anything of the two beads he'd taken, and forgot to inform Thorin of his act, until later, when he heard Thorin cursing. Looking up, he saw his uncle had the bag open and was shaking it, gazing into its depths.

"What is it, Thorin?" Bofur called over.

"My brother's beads are missing."

Fili paled, reaching up to grasp at the objects that clung to his golden locks. He was wearing Uncle Frerin's beads. He'd not even known Thorin carried this reminder of his own little brother with him, but he should've known! He could have _lost_ them. Thorin was going to murder him.

"Retrace your steps," Fili heard Balin suggest. "Where could you have misplaced them?"

Thorin stood. "I'll look by the river, while the sun's light is still with us."

Watching his uncle carefully and quietly tread as though he was looking for a lost child made Fili's heart hurt. Why hadn't he kept to his word? Standing slowly, to avoid the others noticing, he followed Thorin through the grass, sliding the beads from his hair as he did so.

"Uncle."

Thorin glanced at his nephew and then back to the trail, before recalling that his nephew's hand had been held out, closed over something. Or some _things. _"Did you find them?"

"I have them," Fili answered.

Thorin sighed with relief, hurrying over to Fili, the bag still clenched in one hand. "Praise Mahal. Where did you find them?"

Fili mustered up all his courage and quickly said, "I- I took them. I didn't know they were Uncle Frerin's, I-"

"_You took _them?" Thorin's tone was disbelieving. "Why?"

"I ran out of beads, I was going to tell you-"

"By the Maker, _Fili_! I _told _you not to take beads _without _asking. _Didn't_ I? Did I not tell you to _ask_?"

"Yes." Fili replied, staring at the ground.

Thorin growled. "Have you any idea how important they are? My younger _brother_, they _belonged _to _him_."

"I'm sorry," Fili choked out. He heard his voice crack and wished it hadn't. His eyes started to sting and he took a deep, shaking breath to try and compose himself, only to feel the tears that had threatened to spill cascade down his cheeks. He half-thought, though it was foolish, that Thorin might leave him there alone. Instead, he felt rough fingers tip his chin up and suddenly a shoulder had slotted itself under his jaw, comforting arms had encased him and a rumbling voice was murmuring words of comfort by his ear.

Perhaps it was Thorin's reminder that Frerin, who had died in a battle before he could even meet his nephews, was his younger brother that made Fili so upset. Mahal only knew what he would be like if Kili...if something happened to Kili... He held tightly onto Thorin and tried to regain control of his breathing and listen to the gentle, _'hush, my little lad'_ and_ 'there, now'_s that Thorin was murmuring.

Realising his nephew's crying had died down, Thorin gave him a bit of space and gently pushed back a strand of hair from Fili's eyes, dropping his thumb and wiping a stray tear away.

"Unc-le, I'm so sorry. I won't do it again." Fili managed to say, having fought back any sobs that tried to interrupt his words.

Thorin really wanted to forgive Fili straightaway, yet he had told him _numerous _times to ask for beads, not just take them. Reminding himself of the horror he'd felt when he'd discovered his brother's beads gone, he looked at Fili's red-rimmed blue eyes, and said, "Don't forget this, my nephew. Not to make yourself feel worse, but to remember that you must obey what people tell you and you _really must ask_."

"I'll remember, I will." Fili said, nodding his head and making his unbound hair bounce. "I am sorry."

Thorin leaned forward and kissed Fili's brow before drawing him into his arms again. "Apology accepted, _muhud_."

* * *

_**Four**_

He'd only just gotten into his chambers in the Land of Tree Shaggers as he insisted on calling it, when the door burst open and a streak of gold and one of ebony whirled into him, all clinging arms and loud apologies. They didn't even remember to knock.

Clearly, they felt completely _awful _about not so long ago, when they had all found themselves about to get devoured by three Mountain Trolls. So much so that they hadn't even kept to their usually strategy of sending Kili in first to allow him to get his guilt out of the way. No, instead, they had both paid a visit.

Part of him felt sorry for them and simply wished to comfort them and forgive them. The other part of him wanted to clobber them over their heads and scold them until he couldn't shout anymore. Because, _really_. How do you lose ponies to _Trolls _of all beasts?

But, they both wouldn't respond to the second idea of what to do with them as they were already so horrified. Kili was nearly in tears already and Fili was equally upset, though he was probably unhappy because his little brother was so upset. He knew there was a low chair somewhere behind them, and he looked 'round and began moving backwards until the back of his knees hit the frame of it. Sitting, he pulled them both onto it, and kept an arm around their shoulders, waiting for them to stop their fervent apologies and hoping Kili would realise he wasn't just holding onto his uncle's sleeve, but a patch of hair which he was inadvertently pulling, causing discomfort.

"-Never going to forgive us, never going to forgive us." Kili muttered, his brown eyes full of fear that Thorin doubted had anything to do with the Trolls.

Fili nearly did cry at this, and stopped his anxious patting of Kili's arm to look at his uncle before suddenly shivering.

"Are you cold?" Thorin asked.

Fili shook his head.

"Good. Kili, stop panicking now, you'll harm yourself if you keep it up."

Kili hiccuped and then nodded, squeezing his eyes shut for a few seconds. He looked disheveled and miserable, his elder brother looking much the same, and Thorin felt again that urge to comfort them now. Pushing it away, there would be time to do that later, he loosened his grip on their shoulders.

"You are both fools. You were told to stay with the ponies, why didn't you?"

"We went to look ahead."

"Why? I didn't tell you to do that."

Kili fidgeted. "We thought it was safe to leave them."

"And you faced them, Kili. Have you any idea how _dangerous _that was?"

"Bilbo was in danger, I couldn't leave him."

"And then, so were you. How was placing yourself in a similar peril going to help, hmm?"

"It wasn't."

"No. You are an incredible warrior, but facing three Trolls by yourself was only going to end one way."

Kili's eyes were focusing on his knees. "I'm sorry."

Giving Kili's shoulder another squeeze, Thorin turned to Fili. "Who decided to send the Halfling in?"

"It was me," Fili answered, trying to keep eye contact with his uncle.

"It was my idea too." Kili said.

"Yeah, but I said to him to go, didn't I?"

"Was that a good idea?" Thorin asked.

Fili shook his head. "No, uncle."

"Why wasn't it a good idea?"

"Because Kili and Bilbo could have died and it would have been my fault."

Fili's voice was beginning to waver now, and Thorin steeled himself and continued. "You have brilliant instincts, my boy. Very brilliant. Why didn't you listen to them?"

"I ignored everything else."

"Now, why didn't you come to me, both of you, when you found them missing?"

Both drew in wobbling breaths and Fili quietly answered, "we didn't want you to know."

"Why is that?"

"We didn't want you to be disappointed with us." Kili mumbled.

"Because we disobeyed you and we lost valuable-"

"Valuable?" Thorin interrupted. "You are both _far _more valuable than the ponies. Given the choice of losing one, or worse both, of you to Trolls or carrying on two ponies less, you should know I'd let the ponies go. Yes, we would have lost ponies, but they were and still aren't _anywhere _as valuable as you two are. You should have come to me."

"You would have been upset with us."

"Not with you, your actions. Boys, I love you both, you know that. Do you feel you can't come to me?"

"No!"

"Of course not, Uncle!" Fili protested. "We know we can come to you, we just didn't want you to be upset with us- our actions, I mean."

Thorin nodded. "If ever a situation like this arises again, you both come to me, yes? I may scold you and I may be angry, but I will know you have learned from your mistakes and you will be forgiven."

"We will."

"Sorry, Uncle."

Planting a kiss on Kili, then Fili's brows, Thorin drew them close, Fili leaning into his side, Kili choosing to remove his hand from hanging tightly onto Thorin's tunic (finally!) and clamping both arms around his uncle's waist, seemingly relieved that said uncle was no longer unhappy with past event.

"I forgive you, my _muhud."_

* * *

**Guys, I love you all and I do have another part with Thorin planned, but my back's aching like mad, so hang in there and with luck, it'll be up tomorrow!**

**Love from **


End file.
